Rising Antisemitism in Chinese Online Platforms and State Media

As China seeks to position itself as a neutral broker for Mideast peace amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, a surge of antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment is spreading across Chinese state media and the internet. China's state-run media is accusing the United States of blindly backing Israel and perpetuating tropes of Jewish control of American politics. Inflammatory speech critical of Israel is rampant on China's heavily censored internet, with commenters emboldened by China's refusal to condemn Hamas. While it is unclear if this is a coordinated campaign, China's state media rarely deviates from the official position of the Communist Party, and its internet censors swiftly remove content that goes against the government's wishes. The growing anti-Israel sentiment may hinder China's efforts to foster stronger ties with Israel and act as an "honest broker" in the conflict.